Slide structure for drawers, shelves, and the like



March 6, 1945. a v. JAKEWAY SLIDE STRUCTURE FOR DRAWERS, SHELVES AND THE LIKE Filed June 15, 1942 A5 INVENTOR. /i2fa/(ew0 w m ff fj ATTORNEYS.

. re e t 1 ,UMTED PATENT- omCEl f asraser.

' some s'rlwcrohnronnaswans. I

snsnvas snn THE Gerald V. J akewa yyGrand Rapids, Mich, asiign'or to Keeler Brass Company, Grand Rapids, Mich.,,

a corporation ol Michigan r i a application, the is, 1942, Serial no. 447,066

" "This invention relates to improvementsin slide structures for drawers, shelves andthelike.

The main obiectsoi this invention are:

(c1. 3il8 --6) culty has First, to provides slidestructure fordrawers,

shelves and the like which is easy in operation and at the same time f-ree' from vibration and rattling and' hence well adapted for use 'insup- -porting the doors of shelves in radio-phonograph combination machines and other relations where .such characteristics are desirable.

. second, to provide a slide structure having these advantages which is simple'and inegpen sive in its parts, the parts are easily assembled t been experienced in providing a suitably rigid structure andone v My present invention relates 'to a slide struc- ,'ture which is particularly well adapted for such uses but it will be apparent that it has many applications in other fields."- The structure of my invention while permitting free and easy manipulation and retraction of the slidably supported member, at the'same time prevents .rat-

- Inthe embodiment of .1 represents a radio-phonograph combination tlingror vibration.

my invention illustrated,

cabinet having. a door 2 for the radio receiver \and at the same' time durable and do not become loose even as the-result of longcontinued wear. Objects relating to details and economies of the invention will appear from compartment and'a compartment 3 provided with a door l for thephonograph mechanism shown conventionally at 5. ifhis phonograph mechathe description to follow. The inventon is defined and pointed out in the claims.

A preferred embodiment ofthe invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing,. in

which:

Big. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a radio-phonograph combinationequipped with a slide 'struc ure embodyingmy-invention for slidably sup rting the phonograph instrument.

Fig: 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective viewtillustrating the slide rails and their relation' to each other and to the supported member. Fig. 3 is a, fragmentary plan view partially broken away and in horizontal section illustrating. further details of the slide structure and the videthe cabinets having at least one-half of.

the top thereof. hinged for opening .to expose the phonograph mechanism. This'opening of the nism is mounted onashelf or base 6 which is the supported member orelernent of my slide combination.

The slide structure in trated comprises the supporting rails I of channel section disposed in opposed inwardly facing relation' on opposite side walls of the compartrr int inwhich the supported element is housed or designed to receive the supported element or member 6 and whatever may be arranged there'- on.

being formed from suitable sheet metal stock having substantial spring quality, the legs 8 of the rails being-conformed to provide inwardly facing ball races, or ways 9, the ways or races I of opposed legs being in opposed relation, as

lid is unhandy and likewise prevents the cabinet being conveniently used as atable or stand or for papers, pictures, lamps, and the like. It has been proposed to provide drawer or shelf- J like slides for supporting the phonograph mechanism, leavingthe same to be pulled out for acclearly shown in Fig. 4. 'These races are of angular sided or'truncated V-outline for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

. The-slide bars l0 are also of channelsection and are disposed within the rails to face inward,- ly, these members being of such dimensions that they are entirely out of contact with the rails in their-operating relation. I

The web portions H of the railshave intumed ends l2 providing stops limiting the travel of the slide bars within the rails. K The legs H of the slide bars are provided with opposed. holes l4 therein receiving the anti-triction ball members l5. In forming the holes, I preferably strike ,up portions Hi at the edges thereof, as best shown in Fig. 6, to relievesomejter engagement of the balls with the slide bar andvice versa, the slide bar, inefiect, constituting a cage for the balls. These edges also pro-j vide a means to preload the balls 15 relative to cesa- So'far as the applicant is awar -much difli 88- the grooved races 9 of a rail 1, thus further elimifree fromvibrationsu I the embodiment illus-' These rails I are, as stated; of channel section,

what the frictionof the balls and provide a betnating vibration and rattling, The blank I! for one 01' the slidebars is illustrated in Fig. 5, the bending lines being indicated atslB.

'The supported member is provided with slides l8 and 20, these being also preferably formed of sheet stock. They are secured to the under side of the supported member 6 by meansof screws 2|. These slide members are disposed between i the balls l5 and slidably supported thereby, the

legs of the rails being under spring tension when the parts are assembled so that they constantly urge the assembled parts yieldingly together to eliminate friction. The portions of the members ii of the slide bars coacting with the balls serve to support the slide bars entirely out of contact with the rails.

The slide I 9 is conformed to provide a ball race or way 22, see Fig. 4, which serves as a lateral guide for the'supported member.

The slide is flat or at least its ball engaging portion is flat or plain so as to permit lateral movement thereof between the balls and thus prevent any bending and avoid the necessity for great accuracy in mounting the parts and'for center of the ball and its extreme periphery remote from the slide I9. Thus the ball rolls on the races 9 on a radius R while it rolls relative to the slide IS on a radius R which is substantially greater than radius R See Fig. 4. Hence the distance traveled by slide i9 and the supported member 8 on balls l5 bears a relation to the distance traveled by the balls and slide bars 10 on'the rails I which is expressed by the ratio This ratio is obviously I it follows that I am enabled to use rails l which are of relatively short length and still get a satisfactory great outward sliding movement of the supported member 6. For this reason, the structure is well adapted for use in comparagreater than unity, hence tively small cabinets having little depth. In addition a three point rolling contact is provided for the ball l5 which eliminates sidewise rolling clearance and afiords a more rigid, vibration free mounting.

At least one of the slides is provided with a stop 23 at its inner end limiting the outward movement of the slides and consequently the members supported or carried thereby. This stop 23 coacts with the inner end of the slide bar,

It will be noted that the slide l9 hasa downward offset 24 to compensate for the upward offset resulting from the forming of the ball way 22 in the slide and this arrangement permits the slide 20 being merely a piece of flat stock."

. I have illustrated and described my improvementsin a very practical embodiment thereof. It is believed that thiswill enable the application of my invention to a wide variety of uses particularly where free, easy operation is de" sired and that the structure should be free from vibration. I have not attempted to illustrate various other embodiments or adaptations which ways of said supporting rails adapt my improvements .as may I contemplate as I believe this disclosure will enable those skilled in the art to embody or I be desired.

Having thus described myinventiojn,- what I claim asnew and desire, to secure by Letters Patent, is: V

1. In a slide structure, the combination with a supported member, of slide members formed of sheet stock secured to said supported member to project from the opposite sides thereof, supporting rails of channel section disposed in op-, posed inwardly facing relation at the sides of said supported member, said supporting rails having opposed inwardly facing longitudinal, angular sided ball ways in the legs thereof, slide bars of channel section disposed in inwardly facing relation within said rails and having opposed ball openings in the legs thereof said rails being provided with bent inturned slide bar stops at the ends thereof, and balls arranged in said openings to coact with said ways of said rails, I

of said other slide member between the balls of the other rail, the legs of said rails being under springtension when the parts ,are assembled and coacting with the other assembled slide parts to eliminate rattling or vibration, one of said slide members having a stop at the inner end thereof for coaction with the inner end of the meeting slide bar, the rolling contact of said balls on the slide members being on relatively large circles on said balls and the rolling contact of said balls on the sides of said angularly sided ball ways of said supporting rails being on substantially smaller circles on said balls;

2. In a slide structure, the combination with a supported member, of slide members disposed on said supported member to project from the opposite sides thereof, supporting rails of channel section disposed in opposed inwardly facing-relation at the sides of said supported member, said supporting rails having opposed inwardly facing, angular sided longitudinal ball ways'in the legs thereof, slide bars'of channel section disposed in inwardly facing 'relation within said rails and having opposed ballopenings in the legs thereof, and balls arranged. in said openings to coact with said ways of said rails, said slide members being slidably supported between said balls, one of said slide'members having a longitudinal groovelike other slide member having flat parallel upper and lower ball engaging surfaces thereby permitting lateral movement of said other slide member between the balls of the other rail, the legs of said rails being under spring tensionwhen the parts are assembled and coasting with the other assembled slide parts to eliminate rattling or vibration, the rolling contact of said balls on the slide members being on relatively large circles on said balls and the rolling contact of said balls on the sides of said angularly sided ball being on substantially smaller circles on said balls.

' 3. In a slide structure, the combination of a supporting rail of channel section having mutue ally facing, angular sided ways of a generally truncated V-outline in the flanges thereof, a slide disposed within said rail having anti-friction balls rotatably mounted thereon and rolling in said .ways,

and a'further slide member disposed between and rollingly supported by-said balls. the balls being rollingly supported by the sides of said ways,.the rolling contact of said balls on said further slide member being on relatively large circles on said balls-and the'rolling contact of said balls on the sides of said angular sided ways being on substantially smaller circles on said balls whereby said further slide member is rollingly supported .a relatively long distance compared tothe distance that said balls rollingly move in said angularly-sided ways, said in the legs thereof, and anti-friction elements arranged in said openings to-coact with said ways 1 of said rails, said" slide members being slidably supported between said anti-friction members, one of'said slide members having a longitudinal anti-friction element way constituting a guide member, the other slide member having flat,parallelupper and lower anti-friction element bearing surfaces for permitting lateral movement 1% thereof between the anti-friction elements of the flangesbeing under spring 'tension when the contact of said balls on the sides .of said angular sided ways being on substantially smallercircles on said balls whereby said'further slide mem- 1 and rolling in said ways, and a further slide member disposed between and rollingly supported by member is rclling'ly supported a'relatively long her is rollingly supported a relatively long dis- .tance compared to the distance that said balls rollingly move in said angularly-slded ways.

other rail, the legs of said rail being under spring tension and coacting with the. other assembled slide parts to eliminate rattling or vibration.

v 7. In a slide structure, the combination with a supported-member, of slide members projecting froni the opposite" sides of said supported member, supporting rails .ofchannel section disposed inopposed inwardly facing relation at the sides of said supported member, saidsupporting rails having opposed inwardly'facing longitudinal anti-friction elementways in the legs thereof, slide bars of channel section disposed within said rails and having opposed antifriction element openings in the legs thereof, and

anti-friction elements arranged in said openings to coact with said ways of said rails, said slide members-being slidabiy supported betweenisaid anti-frictionmembers, one of said slide 'mem- 5.In a slide structure. the combination of a supporting rail having angular sided ways of a generally truncated V-outl'ine, a slide having anti-friction balls rotatably mounted thereon said balls, the balls being rollingly supported by 'the sides of the ways, the rolling contact of said balls on said further slide member being on relatively large circles on said balls and the rolling contact ,of said balls on the' sides of said angular sided .ways being on substantially smaller.

bers having a longitudinal anti-friction element way constituting a guide member, the other slide memberhaving flat, parallel upper and lower anti-friction element bearing surfaces for permitting lateral movement thereof between the anti-friction elements of the other rail.

8. In a slide structure, the combination of a supporting'rail of channel section having opposed inwardly facinglongitudinal, angular sided ball waysin the. legs thereof, a slide bar of channel section disposed within the channel of said rail and having opposed ball openings in the legs circles on said balls whereby said further slide distance compared to the distance that said balls rollingly move in said angularly-sided ways;

6. In a slide structure, the combination with .a. supported member, of, slide members proJect-. ing from. the opposite sides of said supportedmember, supporting rails of channel sectiondisposed in opposed inwardlyfacihg relation at the sides of said supported member, said supporting rails having opposed inwardly facing longitudinal anti-friction element ways in the legs thereof, slide bars, of channel section disposed in inwardly facing relation within said rails andhaving opposed anti-friction element openings sided all. ways.

thereof, balls arranged in said openings in'said slide bar to engageand roll on the sides of said ways inspaced relation to the bottom thereof an'd'a slide-member formed of sheet stock dis-.

posed between and rollingly supported by said balls, the legs of said rail being under spring tension when the parts'are assembled, the rollmjing contact of said balls on said slide member being on circles on said of maximum radii and the rolling contact of said balls on the sides "of said angular-sided ball-ways being on circles on said balls of substantially shorter radii whereby said slide member is rollingl'y supported. a relatively long distance compared to the distance that r (1 balls .rollingly move in said angularly flomm' v. .mxmwsv.

when the parts-are assembled 

